Whumptober 2019 - 10 - Unconscious
by DinerGuy
Summary: 2018 reboot. He groaned and closed his eyes, trying to focus past the pain to remember how he'd gotten in his current predicament. Flashes of being caught while sneaking through a shipping warehouse sprang to mind, and he remembered being herded into the SUV at gunpoint with Higgins right behind—Higgins!


_A/N: Standard disclaimers apply._

* * *

The rain was pounding outside, lashing at the windows, and, even on full speed, the wipers weren't having much success keeping the windshield clear. There weren't many other cars out besides the black SUV, due both to the pouring rain and the dark of night that had already fallen on the island. Most people were safely indoors, away from the bad weather—which meant no one was around to see the vehicle as it careened down the road.

It swerved back and forth across both lanes, and, with no one else nearby, managed to keep plowing ahead with no incidents for a good half-mile or so. The tires skidded on the wet asphalt several times before it happened.

If anyone had been watching, they would have seen the driver jerk the steering wheel to the left just as the SUV drove through a large puddle of water. The combination of a lack of grip on the road as well as the quick change in direction sent the vehicle spinning out. It hydroplaned as the driver attempted to regain control, and, seconds later, it was too late.

The SUV rolled once as it hit the small strip of grass next to the road, then flipped again, coming to rest on its side—at the bottom of the ditch that ran parallel to the road.

After a moment of deathly silence, the windshield was kicked out. A man, clad in all black, dragged himself out of the downed vehicle. He stood, the water in the bottom of the ditch reaching past his ankles as he pulled a black ski mask off of his head. Breathing heavily, he glanced around, then limped up the embankment back to the road and started back the way the SUV had just come.

The water lapped at the wrecked vehicle, filtering in through the now-missing windshield and cracked windows toward the three people still inside.

* * *

Magnum awoke with a start. Something cold and wet was nudging his hand, and visions of slavering Dobermans finally deciding to have him for dinner filled his head.

He jerked his hand away, hoping to avoid the sharp teeth he just knew were about to come—then a cry of pain escaped him as the movement tore at his side.

Panting, he blinked as his surroundings came into focus. He was not at the estate, nor were Higgy's hellhounds about to take a bite out of him. But his current situation was certainly not ideal either.

He was lying on his side in an overturned vehicle, still restrained by his seatbelt with his hands tied together in front of him. There was a solid inch of water in the SUV, soaking his clothes and lapping at where his hands hung at his side. Something was definitely wrong with his left side, his head ached, and, when he tried to move, fire shot up his left leg where it rested against the door underneath him so much so that he couldn't even move it. He couldn't see anything between the dark interior of the vehicle and the water that had risen to partially cover his leg, and he hoped he'd just fractured it over having cut it when the vehicle rolled; the last thing he needed to worry about was an infection from an open wound soaking in groundwater.

He groaned and closed his eyes, trying to focus past the pain to remember how he'd gotten in his current predicament. Flashes of being caught while sneaking through a shipping warehouse sprang to mind, and he remembered being herded into the SUV at gunpoint with Higgins right behind—

Higgins!

Magnum's eyes shot back open, and he looked quickly to his right. As he did so, he realized just how bad of an idea that was. Sparks filled his vision, and he had to close his eyes again and breathe through his nose before he could even think about trying to move again. This time, when he cautiously opened his eyes and turned to look for Higgy, he made sure to go slowly to avoid any further issues.

It took some effort to turn his head to look upward toward the opposite side of the car. When he finally succeeded, Magnum felt his heart sink. In the small amount of moonlight that managed to make it into the inside of the vehicle, he could see Higgins hanging in her seatbelt, and Magnum felt a rush of thankfulness for the locks that had engaged and kept her tightly restrained when the vehicle had flipped. Her hands were bound in the same way as his and were hanging down toward him, her head drooping to the side as well. Magnum couldn't see how injured she might be, but he could tell her eyes were closed, and she didn't seem to be moving—at all.

He tamped down the panic rising in his chest at the observation and cleared his throat. "Higgy?"

She didn't stir.

"Higgins!" he tried again.

Still no response.

Magnum swallowed and took a steadying breath. He couldn't panic; that wouldn't do anyone any good. He needed to focus, get himself free, and then help Higgins. That was all.

Slowly, painstakingly, he dragged his hands up and over until they were resting against his right hip. He paused for breath, then felt for the seatbelt latch. It took him a few tries, but his numb fingers finally managed to find it. He pushed down as hard as he could, feeling the pull at his injured side but ignoring it.

He was rewarded by the release of the belt—even as pain echoed through his shoulder and head as he fell a couple of inches to hit the door underneath him. The movement caused his leg to shift ever so slightly, and he yelled out at the sudden rush of what felt like fire even in the cold water that was now soaking him through as he lay in it. Magnum squeezed his eyes tightly shut as he panted through the agony that threatened to send him back into unconsciousness.

A few moments later, he finally managed to blink his eyes back open and refocus himself on the situation at hand. The water that was leaking into the vehicle had risen at least half an inch already, and he knew it would only continue. The rain outside may have stopped, but the ditches existed to contain rain and runoff so that the roads didn't flood. Being stuck in one after such a huge storm was not a good idea.

He knew he needed to free his hands before he did anything else, but the goons who'd kidnapped them had taken his pocketknife. Magnum glanced around the small space, hoping he'd catch sight of something in the dark that he could use to saw through the bonds around his wrists. The window beside him wasn't broken at all, and it was flat against the ground, meaning he couldn't break it to use a shard of glass.

As he tried to concentrate, his head just kept pounding, and he had to pause again to breathe past another flash of pain that traveled up his leg and through his side.

"Higgy?" he tried again, almost certain she wouldn't hear him but hoping she would. He was slowly and painfully realizing he might not be able to get them out of the mess, but he refused to accept that. No, there had to be some way out. He just had to find it.

And then his eyes drifted toward the front of the vehicle, and he suddenly realized one of their captors was still there. He briefly reprimanded himself for not even thinking of the men when he'd first woken up—although, granted, he'd had other things on his mind. But now, he saw that the guy who'd been driving had collapsed against his own seatbelt in the same way Magnum had. The driver's crony had disappeared, undoubtedly through the busted windshield.

Magnum took a deep breath as he remembered the driver tucking the confiscated knife into his pocket. If he could just reach past the front seat, he could hopefully retrieve the blade and free himself. It was his only real option at that point, and so he had to at least try.

Gritting his teeth, he braced his hands against the door and pushed himself upright. The pain that flashed through his leg nearly had him lying back, gasping for breath again, but he refused to give in. Get free, help Higgy, _then_ worry about himself. That's what he'd have to do. And so, slowly and painstakingly, he managed to inch forward until he could reach over the back of the driver's seat. The way it pulled at his side had him fighting the haze that tugged at his consciousness, but he somehow made himself feel for the other man's pocket.

Magnum's numb fingers slipped a few times, but he was finally able to find the weapon and pull it out. After some strategic shifting and then several attempts at sawing through his bonds, he was rewarded with the feeling of the ropes loosening and then falling away. They landed in the water with a small splash, and Magnum glanced down in surprise. The water had risen another fraction of an inch, just enough to be noticeable, and he swallowed. He had to get them out—now—before it got any deeper. He was already soaked through and starting to feel the chill, even on the warm Hawaiian night, and he knew things were only going to get worse if he stayed where he was.

Pushing himself to his feet so he was standing on the back door, favoring his left leg, Magnum slowly reached up toward Higgy. He swallowed and forced himself to ignore the way _everything_ hurt as he moved. Reaching up slowly, he pressed his fingers to her neck and felt relief wash through him as he felt the flutter of her heartbeat. He hadn't let himself think she might not be alive, but the proof that she was still with him suddenly brought to mind all of the possibilities of what might have been.

Even better, he noticed her flinch slightly at his touch, and he put his hand on her cheek. "Hey, Higgins," he called gently. "Can you hear me?"

She still didn't open her eyes, but she shifted at the sound of his voice.

"Higgy, come on, girl. You gotta wake up," Magnum pressed. He knew he couldn't catch her deadweight if he released her seatbelt now; he'd need her help to get her out and onto safer ground.

A long moment later, he was rewarded by the sight of her eyes fluttering open.

"Hey," he said again, smiling as her gaze met his. "You're okay; just breathe. Slowly," he coaxed as her eyes darted around them to take in their situation. "That's it."

"Magnum…? What… what…" She trailed off as a ragged cough interrupted her words.

He moved to cut through the ropes around her wrists, then snapped the blade closed and slid the knife into his pocket. "Looks like your escape plan didn't work out so well."

_"Mine?"_ she asked, managing to look offended even past the paleness of her face and the blood he could now see trickling from a gash in her hairline. "You… it's completely your fault the driver crashed, you know."

Magnum shook his head. "How is this suddenly my fault? You started the fight! I just followed your lead so those guys wouldn't kill you."

"Yes," Higgy said slowly, lifting an eyebrow as she looked at him sideways. "But then_ you_ choked the driver who then ran off the road!"

"He was going for his gun!" Magnum didn't understand how this was all being pinned on him. "Will you at least give me some credit for saving your life?"

Higgins coughed even as she rolled her eyes. "Oh, right. I must have forgotten that part somewhere between being knocked unconscious in a car accident and waking up in a ditch. My apologies."

"Look, can we argue about this later?" Magnum sighed. He really didn't want to keep standing awkwardly in an attempt to keep his weight off his injured leg, plus his side and his head were _killing _him.

She gave him a pointed look but nodded. "Oh, we are definitely continuing this later."

"Are you hurt anywhere besides your head?" he asked, quickly switching the topic before she could change her mind. "When we undo your seatbelt, I'm going to catch you, but I need to make sure to watch out for any injuries."

Taking a deep breath, she slowly lifted her arms to feel along her side—then pain flashed across her face.

Magnum tensed. "What is it?"

She just shook her head and stayed silent, tilting her head slightly as she seemed to be taking stock of everything else. A few moments later, she looked back to him. "I… I seem to have done something to my right arm. I'm not sure what, but it hurts to move it too much."

"Okay…" he said slowly. "Anything else?"

Biting her lip, she shook her head. "Apart from some bumps and bruises, nothing major."

"Okay. Okay good." It was certainly better than he'd hoped. "Look, I'm going to try to brace you against the seat. I need you to unbuckle your seatbelt, and then I'll lower you down."

"Got it." She nodded.

Magnum clenched his teeth and lifted his arms again, putting his hands up against Higgy's thigh and shoulder. The burning spreading through his side was threatening his vision again, but he refused to give it any attention. Once they got Higgins down and they got out of the vehicle, _then_ he could worry about himself.

"One, two, three," she counted off, then she undid the latch.

The sudden weight of Higgins on his arms, even with as light as she was, tore a growl of pain from him as the pressure flared white-hot through his torso. It was all he could do not to drop her.

"Magnum?"

"I'm fine," he waved off her concern as he slowly lowered her down.

She was doing as much as she could to help, using the seatbelt to brace herself and take some of her weight off of him, and he appreciated it.

A moment later, she was standing in the water beside him, and she made a face as it sloshed into her boots. "We'd better get out of here."

That was the best idea he'd heard all night.

Then her gaze drifted to front seat, where the driver was still slumped. "We have to get him out."

Magnum knew she was right; they couldn't just leave the man to die, even if he was a criminal. Plus, they needed information from him if they wanted to find his friend who'd disappeared from the crash site. Taking as deep a breath as he dared, Magnum nodded.

They both moved forward, and he took in the depth of the water in the front of the vehicle. The runoff that was inside the vehicle had already risen over the side of the man's face, and, in a few minutes, his nose would be underwater.

Reaching out, Magnum undid the buckle, making sure to use his right arm so it would pull less at his injured side. Then he grabbed the guy's shoulders and tried to maneuver him past the steering wheel, although the man's legs seemed to be stuck underneath it.

"Here," Higgins said as she wriggled past him to climb out of the busted-out windshield. Then she turned around and helped pull from her side.

It took a lot of effort and pained grunts from both of them, but they finally managed to pull the man's limp form out into the ditch. The water was even deeper there, and they painstakingly hauled their unconscious burden up the side of the shallow embankment until they were at a somewhat safe distance.

Magnum collapsed against the soaked grass as soon as they'd made it far enough. He was wheezing at the effort the rescue and escape had taken, and the agonizing pain was starting to completely take over his thoughts. Every move he made seemed to tear at his side more, and his leg felt like someone was twisting it around violently. His frame shuddered as a shiver ran through him. Pinpricks of light were starting to crawl across his sight, and, even when he blinked hard against them, they just increased.

Vaguely, he saw Higgy digging in their captor's pockets, and he wondered what she was looking for. But, even as she pulled her hand back with something small and dark clenched in it, he found himself drifting into the fog that was starting to envelop him.

He barely saw Higgy turning back to him, barely heard her calling his name, and he wanted to reassure her that he was fine… but he couldn't.

The last thing he saw before the darkness took him was her worried face hovering near his.

* * *

The strobing red and blue lights slowly filtered past his closed eyes.

Magnum groaned and shifted his head, wanting nothing more than to close his curtains and get back to sleep. He couldn't even remember what he'd been doing the night before, but he was exhausted and everything hurt. Why—

And then it hit him, and his eyes flew open as he tried to sit up. Higgins. The SUV. The kidnappers.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. It's okay, Magnum." A calm voice reached his ears.

Magnum felt a hand on his chest and tried to shrug it off, only to stop short as the movement caused pain to flare up in his chest.

"Come on; you're all right. Just calm down." Was that Katsumoto?

But the low, firm tone did its job, and Magnum slowly blinked up at the sky. If Katsumoto was there, then things must be all right.

"Welcome back," the detective said gently, slowly removing his hand.

Magnum frowned. "What…?"

"I was still on shift when Higgins called for help," Katsumoto supplied. "And since I was nearby, I figured I'd come over and see what kind of a mess you'd gotten yourself in this time."

Magnum coughed. "Is… Higgy…?"

"She's fine."

The sound of a vehicle's doors opening and closing cut echoed through the night, and Katsumoto glanced over his shoulder. "Ambulances just arrived. You're going to be okay."

"Hey," Magnum tried to reach for the other man's sleeve to get his attention, immediately regretting the move when it sent more pain running through him.

Judging from the look on Katsumoto's face, the detective hadn't missed a thing. "Stay still, Magnum," he instructed, putting his hand back on the other man's shoulder.

"The guys who grabbed us…" Magnum trailed off, the effort to talk more than he could handle.

"Don't worry. Between security footage and the way the driver seems pretty eager to talk, even after just waking up, we'll get the other guy before long," Katusmoto assured him. "Oh, and I called Rick already; figured he and T.C. would want to know what happened. They'll meet you at the hospital."

Magnum sank back against the wet ground at the news, feeling like he could finally rest easily again. The faces of the EMTs appeared past Katsumoto, and the detective stepped back to let them work.

Exhaustion was pulling at him, and, although he did try to pay attention to what he was being asked, Magnum just couldn't bring himself to focus on anything. But, this time, as he started to slip back into unconsciousness, it was a much more relaxed feeling. He and Higgins were both okay, the bad guys were being taken care of… It might not have been his smoothest case ever, but it was still over. After all, he supposed it could have been worse.

* * *

_Fin._


End file.
